Computer and video games have matured from the likes of “Pong” into epic adventures having rich storylines, photorealistic graphics, and complex interaction systems, thereby allowing a player to immerse herself in the alternative reality that is emulated by the video game. The term video or computer game typically refers to any game played on a data processing device. Examples of video games may include computer games, game console games (e.g., playable on the XBOX®, PLAYSTATION®, and/or NINTENDO® brand game consoles), coin-operated or token-operated arcade games, portable gaming device games (e.g., playable on the Nokia N-GAGE®, PLAYSTATION PORTABLE®, NINTENDO DS®, Gizmondo, mobile phone, etc.), or other software-driven games. A video or computer game may refer to any software driven application that provides a graphically depicted virtual environment, and having one or more objectives that one or more characters attempt to complete within the virtual environment under a set of predetermined constraints or rules. Each character controlled by a player/user may be referred to as a player-character (PC); each computer controlled character may be referred to as a non-player-character (NPC).
Video games can be divided into many genres, such as first-person shooters (FPS), role-playing games (RPG), simulation, sports, strategy, action and driving, to name a few. Each video game is not necessarily limited to a single genre, and may indeed encompass multiple genres. For example, one genre of video games is referred to as a first-person shooter (FPS) genre. The display screen for FPS games typically provides a first person point of view, e.g., as if the player is viewing the video game's virtual world through the eyes of the character the player is controlling. Popular FPS games include the HALO®, DOOM®, QUAKE®, DUKE NUKEM™, and HALF-LIFE® franchises.
FPS games are very popular, in part because they are particularly well suited to multiplayer game play. In many multiplayer games, each participant controls a player-character within the virtual environment, and the participants either work alone or in teams to complete their objective(s) for a particular game. Multiplayer FPS games may provide different objectives in various game modes, thus providing a variety of gameplay types to participants. Some known multiplayer game modes include every-man-for-himself, every-team-for-itself, capture the flag, assault, and king of the hill. Every-man-for-himself format, referred to in the HALO® franchise as Slayer mode, and referred to in the QUAKE® franchise as Deathmatch mode, refers to a multiplayer game where each participant tries to kill all other participants in the graphically simulated virtual environment, e.g., within a specific period of time, a specific number of times, etc. Every-team-for-itself refers to a multiplayer game where groups of participants attempt to kill competing groups of participants in the graphically simulated virtual environment. In capture the flag, the video game simulates a flag in the virtual environment, and teams compete to capture the flag from an initial position and return the flag to a home base of the capturing team. In the assault game mode, teams attempt to penetrate a home base of competing teams and plant a bomb or flag in the competing team's base. Finally, in king of the hill, players or teams attempt to control a specific location for a preset period of time. The first player or team to control the specific location for that preset period of time wins. Each of the above game modes may have various modifications and settings that can be customized from one game to the next.
Regardless of the game mode, players naturally progress in skill, some faster than others, and certain players become very skilled at particular FPS games or other game types. Other less-skilled players subsequently might have a difficult time developing skills as a result of being so easily beaten by the more skilled players. Some games allow other participating players to spectate game play between lives, or between rounds but before all players have finished the current round, etc. Spectating in this manner is accomplished by the participating players' game consoles joining the game and sending game telemetry data to the other participating players' game consoles. However, non-participating players cannot spectate the game. Thus, it would be an advance in the art to provide a system whereby non-participating players or users could also spectate a game, thereby able to observe game play styles and strategies of other players.